Why is your home made dressing different than bottled, exept it tastes better? do you see those bottles of "Italian" dressing with the bits of onion and pepper going bad after a month? Does olive oil go bad in a month? Vinegar? Mustard? or spices?...And when you suspend chopped garlic in vinegar....it will keep nigh on to forever. Garlic in oil with out any vinegar is in danger of growing botulism...but if you add vinegar or lemon, you have made it acedic enough to combat that. Linda C

No need to apologize, sands. I totally knew that you were referring to your own facetious comment, not mine. My reading skills are much more advanced than my cooking skills, I promise. :) But thank you for being concerned that you not hurt feelings unintentionally. The nature of the internet is such that it can really cause some awful misunderstandings... Linda, what you're saying certainly makes sense *in theory*. I guess what I'm saying, though, is that I haven't found it to make a significant difference *in practice*. For instance, is there ever liquid in the bottom of the bowl of leftover tuna/chicken salad? Yep. If there's a good bit, I drain it off; if just a little, I mix it in. Either way, I've never thought it tasted waterlogged or that the texture was compromised. Another example is our very favorite pasta salad. No seafood in that one. Just pasta, raw veggies (including most of the ones you listed above, like cucumbers and tomatoes and onions), seasonings and an Italian dressing-style marinade. The original recipe calls for it to be refrigerated for 24 hours before serving. I actually like to hold it for 48 hours, because that's when the flavor is at its' peak. In theory, it should be so mushy and watery by then that nobody would want it. In practice, it actually holds up well for another day or two before the texture of the vegetables finally starts to deteriorate. Maybe y'all are more sensitive to the watery thing than we are. Maybe every pasta salad is different in this respect. Whatever the case, I'm gonna stick to my method this time, guys. lol But I do want to add that it's a pleasure to have a (civil) debate with people who are so knowledgeable and experienced. In the short time I've been hanging around this forum, I've learned an incredible amount. Thanks for sharing! sm

And now for something a little different: This is the chicken salad that was served for years at the annual Antique Show in Salisbury, NC. I think it is the only recipe my dear MIL ever used. Cook two large hens (5-6 pounds each) until tender, cool, and cut white meat in large pieces, dark meat into smaller bits. Mix with the cooked dressing that has been cooled and let stand overnight. Cooked Dressing: 2 TB flour 2 TB sugar 2 t. salt 2 TB butter 2 eggs, beaten 2 t. dry mustard 1 cup water 1/2 cup vinegar Mix dry ingredients; make a paste with part of the water. Then add in the eggs and remaining liquids and cook until thick, stirring constantly. Cook the dressing before mixing with the cut up chicken. The next day, add to chicken/dressing mixture: 2 bunches of celery, chopped fine, juice of two lemons, mayonnaise to the right consistency, red cayenne pepper, and additional salt to taste. Mix well, chill and serve on crisp lettuce. Another good recipe, a contender for the mythical "tea room" is this Chicken and Apricot salad with Double Mustard Dressing: 3 lb. boneless chicken breasts, poached just until tender, cooled to room temp 1 cup dried apricots, cut into 1/4" strips 1/3 cup cream sherry 3 ribs celery, coarsely chopped 4 scallions, green and white parts, sliced on the diagonal 1/2 cup slivered almonds, lightly toasted 3 TB chopped fresh rosemary, or less to taste Double Mustard Mayonnaise 2 egg yolks 2 TB fresh lemon juice 2 TB grainy Dijon mustard 3/4 cup vegetable oil 2/3 cup olive oil 1/4 cup honey mustard salt and freshly ground pepper to taste Cut up the poached chicken breasts into 2" x 3/4" strips and place in a large bowl. Place the apricots and sherry in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer for 3 minutes, add the apricots and liquid to the chicken. Add the celery, scallions, almonds, and rosemary to the chicken mixture in the bowl and toss to combine. Prepare mayonnaise: In a food processor with a tight lid and fitted with the steel blade, add the eggs, lemon juice, and Dijon mustard and process for 10 seconds. With the machine running, stream in the veg. oil and the olive oil to make an emulsion. Add in the honey mustard and process smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Blend the salad with the mayonnaise. Refrigerate in a covered bowl for at least 2 hours. Serve on lettuce leaves with a sprig of fresh rosemary for garnish. Source: Nantucket Open-House Cookbook, Sarah Leah Chase.

Okay - I called my sister and she said the recipe she uses came from Cooks.com OLIVE GARDEN ITALIAN SALAD DRESSING 1/4 cup white or red wine vinegar (more or less, to taste) 1/3 cup water 1/3 cup vegetable oil or olive oil 1/4 cup light corn syrup 2 1/2 tablespoons grated Romano cheese 2 tablespoons dry pectin (used to thicken jelly) 2 tablespoons beaten egg or egg substitue 1 1/4 tsp. salt 1 tsp. lemon juice 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic or 1 tsp. garlic powder 1/4 teaspoons dried parsley flakes pinch of oregano pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste Combine all of the ingredients with a mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds -Or- in a blender on low speed for 30 seconds -Or- use a wand mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Chill at least 1 hour. Serve over mixed greens or use as a marinade. I like to add the hot peppers in the salad that the restaurant uses. It tastes closer to the original that way.